Belgium Thieves Steal iPhones Worth $3M But Disabled

When a Belgium carrier had trouble keeping iPhones in stock, local thieves took matters into their own hands, stealing up to 4,000 of the popular Apple handsets worth $3 million from a warehouse. Investigators suspect the theft, which happened over the weekend, might be an inside job.

The thieves climbed a fire ladder to the roof of a warehouse owned by CEVA Logistics, a Netherlands-based logistics company in Willebroek. The unknown number of participants then cut a hole in the roof directly above where the iPhones were located, taking between 3,000 and 4,000 devices, according to local reports.

Although CEVA officials declined to comment, the company was “seriously annoyed by the intrusion,” reports said. Police have no leads, however reports in De Standaard and Gazet van Antwerpen suggested the thieves knew about iPhone delivery and storage location details.

Carrier Mobistar, which has had problems keeping the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in stock reportedly are rushing to get new supplies before inventory runs low. The carrier also hinted the theft may be for naught: the phone’s serial numbers are known and the iPhone will be blocked from the network. While the move could prevent accessing the Mobistar network, the thieves potentially could still sell the handsets on the black market.